Fluid compressor



April 13, 1937. w. NOBLE 2,076,536

FLUID COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 13, 1937. wNOBLE FLUID COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 sive action.A further object of my invention is Patented A r. 13,1937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE fai -zbvassc wan-en Nobie, Michigan City,1nd,, assignmto Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application February 28, 1934, Serial No. 713,332 32Claims. (01. 230-108) My invention relates to gaseous fluid comhavingbubble forming andgbubblai'ollffigmeans, pressors, and more particularlyto gaseous fluid whereby the gas to be compressed is intimatelycompressors in which a liquid is employed under mingled with, andthoroughly washed by the the action of centrifugal force for the purposeliquid compressing medium. Yet another object of compressing the gas. ofmy invention is to provide an improved com- From one of its aspects myinvention relates to pressor wherein there shall be accomplished not theprovision of a gaseous fluid compressor in only the function ofeflicient compression, but which a liquid, after having had a largeamount the desired cooling and humidifying of the air of energy impartedto it in the course of its action compressed, so that after re-expansionthe air as a compressing medium, is caused to give up may be suitablyconditioned for use in a condithat energy and restore it to the powerdriving t'ioned-air compartment. Another object of my system of thecompressor in such a manner that invention is to provide an improvedcompressor there is a minimum loss 01' power. employing the principle ofmingling the gas to From another aspect .of my invention, the, becompressed with aliquid compression medium, same comprises the featureof employing, and having improved separating means for sepawhether in asingle stage or in a multi-stage comrating the gas from the liquid aftercompression. pressor, a liquid, preferably a liquid having a Stillanother object of myinvention-isto provide substantial surface tension,both for the purpose an improved direct-contact of acting to entrain andcompress a gas which is of compressor, having improved automatic contobe compressed and to carry away the heat of compression.

Still another aspect of my invention comprises the feature of washingthe air during the course of compression in such a manner that allimpurities are removed, soluble gases are washed out of the air, and theair humidified and. brought to a desired temperature, whereby a systemof pumping air of broad application, but of a special benefit for airconditioning work, is provided.

A still further aspect of my invention resides in the provision of acompressor of such character that a completely silent action isaccomplished, despite the handling of large quantities of air and the,conditioning thereof, as above 35 mentioned, so that a compressorsystem especially adapted to hospital use is provided.

Yet another aspect of the invention resides in its provision of animproved method of hydraulic compressing, involving mechanical rollingof bubbles of entrained air. v

One of the primary objects of my invention is In the accompanyingdrawings in which there to provide an improved compressor employing a isshown for purposes of illustration one form liquid as the compressingmedium, and having which my invention may assume in practice,- provisionfor the recovery of the kinetic energy Fig. 1 is a view partially inelevation and par- 45 imparted to the liquid during the compressingtially in vertical central section through a comprocess. Another objectof my invention is to pressor unit in which the invention is embodiedprovide an improved compressor employing 'a in one of its forms. liquidas the compressing medium, having pro- Fig. 2 is a view in end elevationwith parts vision for the mingling of the gas to be combroken away of apart of the compressormech- 50 pressed, in bubble form in thecompressing liquid anism proper.

medium, and providing not only the eflect of cen- Fig. 3 is an axialsection on an enlarged scale trif i gal force, but also a rolling actionfor the showing the liquid intake of the compressor.

Y pii'riiiose-of effectually accomplishing'a compres- Fig. 4 is afragmentary diametric section through a portion of the pump-rotor and aportion of the casing.

admitted to the compressor, and thereby the output of the compressor,and also the terminal pressure of the compressor. Still another objectof my invention is to provide an improved liquid type compressor inwhich various fluids, having diflerent viscosities and difierent surfacetensions, may be employed to imprison bubbles of air or other gas, andsubject such bubbles to a rolling-down action concurrently with thedevelopment of increasing centrifugal pressures as the size of thebubbles diminishes, Still another object of my invention is to providean improved compressor of the liquid type having associated therewithcooling means, by means of which the terminal temperature of the liquidto be con:- pressed can be controlled and varied. Yet another object isto provide an improved method of compressing gaseous materials. Otherobjects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter more fullyappear.

at-o provide "an" improved liquid type compressor liquid-medium typetrol means for regulating the quantity of liquid Fig. 5 is an enlargedfragmentary detailed section through a portion of the automatic liquidsupply control.

Fig. 6 shows a side elevation and an end view of one part of theautomatic liquid control.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the Pelton wheel forming a part of thecompressor.

Fig. 8 is an end view and Fig. 9 a view on the line 9-9 of Fig; 8showing one of the bucketpairs of the Pelton wheel.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing details ofconstruction of the'liquid control valve.

Fig. 11 is an end nection.

Referring to the drawings, and at first particularly to Fig. 1, it willbe noted that .a suitable base |4 provides a large internal chamber l5and a smaller upper internal chamber l6, the'latter communicating with achamber i1 in a hollow motor support l6, which supports a driving motorunit l9 alined with a compressor 26 upon the base i4. The compressorcomprises a plural part casing generally designated 2| and made up of abody element 22 providing a pedestal 23, another body element 24 and anend element 25. Within the body elements 22 and 24 there is journaled ahollow shaft 26 in suitable bearings 21 and 26, and this shaft isconnected herein through a flexible coupling 29 with the motor shaft 36.The shaft 26 supports arotor structure generally designated 3|, whichrotates in a chamber of symmetrical cross section 32, said chambercomprising a pair of air admission spaces 33 one of which is formedwithin each of the casing parts 22 and 24, bubble forming chambers 34,compression spaces 35, air discharge spaces 36, and a liquid race 31,tioned being part in casing member 22 and part in casing member 24 andsymmetrically arranged with respect to the central plane of the rotor 3Air is supplied to the spaces 33 through a conduit 36 formed in thecasing and connected to a source of supply through a pipe 39. The rotoritself is made up, as herein shown, of three elements, a pair of bubbleforming elements or nozzle elements 46 and a plate or central element4|. The latter may assume various forms and may be constructed, ifdesired, as a plane smooth surfaced plate or it may be provided withspiral view of the liquid intake convanes under certain circumstances.The parts of the rotor are all held together by or the like 42.

It will be observed that the shaft 26 is hollow and this hollow'shaftcommunicates with a chamber 45 formed in the casing element 25, thischamber being sealed, by a suitable seal type packing 46, from a space41 within the casing member 22. A suitable conduit 48 formed in the wallof the casing member 22 leads to a combined strainer and suction valvemechanism 49 arranged in position to extend through the chamber l6 intothe chamber l5. This mechanism includes a sleeve 56 in which is mounteda tapering suction member 5|, at whose lower end a valve seat 52 isformed to receive a valve 53, which controls the communication betweenthe space 54 within the suction member and a space 55 to which liquidcan attain access only through a strainer 56 supported by means ofsuitableribs 51 formed upon the outside of the suction element 5|. Ahead 56 in which the valve 53 is slidably guided by means of a stem 59forms a closed lower end to the space to which liquid is first admittedafter passing the strainer 56. A light sp i g 5'! mainsuitable rivetsenlarged mouth or are bounded at all of the several parts men--v Thebubble forming devices of the rotor may be smooth, or may be providedwith a series of I curved tapering passages 65 communicating at theirlarger and inner ends with the air admission spaces 33, 33, saidpassages being closed on their outer sides by walls of the stationarycasing. The bubble forming portions further each comprise centralchambers 66, communicating through passages 61 with the hollow interior66 of the shaft 26 which in its turn has communication through its valvecontrolled mouth 69 with the space 45 to which liquid is drawn, afterthe pump is running, through the liquid intake. One or more series,preferably several, of relatively radially extending bubble forming ornozzle devices 16 extend between the water spaces 66 and the airadmission spaces or grooves 65. The nozzle or bubble forming devices mayassume various forms, and are here shown as having relatively dischargeportions 1|, and smaller liquid Jet forming portions 12. It will beobserved that the space 65 or spaces (depending upon the nature of theexteriors of members 46) their inner sides by the rotor structure and attheir outer sides by a stationary casing wall. It will be noted,moreover, that radially outwardly, beyond the bubble forming members 46,there is a relatively sharp angle of approach of the casing or rotorchamber wall to the rotor plate 4|, and then a more gradual taper asrespectively shown at 15 and 16. The form and angle of this wall is, ofcourse, variable in accordance with the speeds, the dimensions, andother design features of the compressor. At the outer edge of the spaces35 therev is, as has been noted, a relatively large air separationgroove 36, with portions at each side of the outermost part of the rotordisc, water race 31. The air separation groove or grooves 36 communicatewith a discharge passage 86 having any suitable form of discharge valve6|, herein a valve being used which is covered in my copendingapplication filed of even date herewith.

In the normal operation of the compressor as so far described, it willbe understood that after suitable priming, if necessary, the compressorwill automatically draw in liquid through the intake valve 53, after thesame has been strained through the strainer 56, and will cause theliquid to pass through the hollow interior 66 of the shaft 26 and outthrough the nozzles or bubble makers 16 where the liquid under theaction of centrifugal force will be caused, in passing into the spaceand also after impinging upon the casing walls, to entrain aim-partiallyperhaps by aslugactioninthe upper part of the mixing chambers 65, inpart perhaps by absorption, and largely in the form of bubbles, in thehighly agitated state in which the liquid flows out of the chamber 65into the tapered space 15. After the liquid with its entrained airenters the space 15, it is subjected to increasing centrifugal force,and due to the presence of a rolling action between the plate 4| and thestationary casing wall 16, the compressing action will be facilitatedand a high compression, whose value may be readily determined accordingto well known principles of design, will be built up. As the fast movingfilms of liquid containing highly compressed air pass through the narrowspaces be- Serial N0. 713,336,

am It will remove thereto. There will be noted to be very few movingparts, almost no wear, silence, automatic fluid supply and dischargeconnections 9i, befbre returning to the liquid storage space it.

e amount of liquid supplied to the hollow l5 shaft 26 is controllable byvalve 92 having a manual adjustment, through rotation of its stem 93 bya hand wheel 94, to limit its maximum opening, but constantly subject toclose adjustment by means consists of a rack 91 secured to the block 95,and an arcuate rack 98, meshed with the rack 91 and pivotable through ashaft 99, and turned with that shaft by an arm I00 secured to said 3shaft. The arm I00 is-connected by a link "II with an arm member Themember ii" is in the foniihof a fan- 35 shaped member supported by theshaft mally maintained in a certain angular position by a torsion springI05. through one of the air spaces 36 into close contiguity to theperiphery of the rotor disc 4| and 40 is provided with a seriesofpbucket-like recesses action upon the buckets or grooves I06, therewill be imparted to the member I 04 a rotative force, which, through theshaft, arms and linl: described,

1: will move the valve 92 toward closed position and 70 This rollingaction will be as it were spiral, be-

' I centrifugal force.

I02 upon a shaft I03 which quantity of liquid being controlan idealcombination for air-conditionuse, and the possibility of high pressuresin volving the novel feature of bubble formation and rolling down, andthe attendant use of increasing These and various other uses andadvantages of the improved compressing unit will be clearly apparent tothose skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form whichthe invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that thisform is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention maybe modified and embodied in various other forms without departure fromits spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What'I claim Patent is:-

1. In. a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, a liquid constrained tomovement throughsaid casing and to which centrifugal force is impartedby said rotorgmeanscarried by said rotor fo ent portions of the latter.

2. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, a liquid constrained tomovement through said casing and to which centrifugal force is impartedby said rotor, means carried by said rotor for effecting entraining ofair by said liquid, and separate liquid and air discharges respectivelyradial of and transverse to said rotor.

3. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein,

charge beyond the periphery of the rotor.

5. In a compressor, a liquid supply means throughthe rotor, gaseous anddesire to secure by Letters casing, a rotor therein,-

fluid inlet means through the casing, said casing and rotor providing atapering.v compression space, and gaseous fluid and liquid dischargepassages at different radial distances from the rotor aiiis.

' 6. In a compressor, a casing, a" rotor therein, a

- liquid supply to said rotor, an air inlet provided by said casing,said rotor effecting a mingling of connected to said rotor for rotationtherewith.

7., In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, means affording a liquidsupply to the center of separate communications with the rotor.

8. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, a

' ery, and separate air and liquid discharges having 1.

liquid supply to the center of said rotor, an airinlet near the centerof the casing, bubble forming nozzles on said rotor, said casing, androtor co-operating to roll said bubbles during centrifu- 5 galcompression, and discharge means for the air and liquid. e

9. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, a liquid supply to thecenter of said rotor, an air inlet near the center of the casing, bubble10 forming nozzles on said rotor, said casing and rotor co-operating toroll said bubbles during centrifugal compression, and discharge meansfor the air and liquid differently spaced radially of the casing. I

5 10. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein," means aifording aliquid supply to said rotor, air inlet means communicating with saidrotor, a regulating valve for the liquid supply, and means including adevice governed by the volume of 20 liquid passing across the peripheryof the rotor for controlling said valve.

11. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor therein, a liquid supply to saidrotor, air inlet means leading to said rotor, means for freeing theliquid 25 of air at and for returning the liquid from the periphery ofthe rotor to its source of supply, and means for controllingthetemperature of the liquid in its passage between the edge of the rotorand the source.

12.-The method of compressing a. gas which comprises as steps, formationand entraining of bubbles of gas in a stream of liquid of progressivelyincreasing pressure, and rolling said bubbles to decrease their sizemechanically as well 35 as hydraulically.

13. The method of compressing a gas which comprises as steps, providinga moving stream. of air, discharging jets of liquid thereinto to cause abubbly mixture, subjecting said mixture to pro- 40 gressively increasingpressure and concurrently subjecting the same to a rolling action.

14. The method of compressing a gas which comprises as steps,providing'a conelike sheet of air moving with diminishing thickness andincreasing velocity from the apex towards the base thereof, discharginginto the same liquid in broken-up form and at an angle to the flow ofthe air stream to produce a bubbly mass or quasiemulsion in the form ofa sheet corresponding in shape to the surface of a flattening cone, andsubstantially increasing the unit pressure in said mass by centrifugalaction and effecting relativelyopposite movement between the oppositesurfaces of said last mentioned sheet.

" 15. The step in gas compression, of rolling gaseous bubbles in aliquid compression medium between converging surfaces.

16. The step in gas compression of rolling gaseous bubbles in a liquidcompression medium be- 60 tween contiguous surfaces while increasing thefluid pressure.

1'7. The step in gas compression of subjecting gaseous bubbles in aliquid compression medium to concurrently increasing pressure androlling action.

18. The step in gas compression of subjecting the mingled gas and liquidto a rolling action spirally.

19. The method of gas compression consisting of subjecting successiveportions of mingled gas and liquid to a rolling action spirally and to aconcurrently increasing hydraulic pressure.

20. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor in said 75 casing, means forsupplying commingled gaseous fluid and liquid .tosaid casing'for acompressive action thereon by said-rotor, and means for substantiallyseparating the compressed fluid from the liquid before the edge of therotor is reached.

21. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor in said 5 casing, means forsupplying commingled gaseous fluid and liquid to said casing for acompressive action thereon by said rotor, means for substantiallyvseparating the compressed gaseous fluid from the liquid before the edgeof the rotor is reached, and separate discharge means for saidcompressed gaseous fluid and said liquid.

22. In a compressor, in combination, a rotor in the form of a flat metaldisc mounted to rotate on a stationary axis coincident with its own axisand having annular, opposite, lateral fluid engaging portions ofsubstantial radial dimension and smooth throughout their entire radialand circumferential extent, and means forming a chamber for said rotorand providing a radiallyfree path for .fluid for guiding fluid from theportions of said rotor nearer the axis thereof towards the peripherythereof as said rotor turns.

23. In a compressor, in combination, a rotor in the form of a flat metaldisc having a relatively thin, imperforate, smooth-surfaced body, andmeans forming a chamber for said rotor providing smooth walls for theconductingof fluid outwardly radially of the rotor. I

24. In a compressor, a casing having a compression chamber, a rotorin,said chamber in the form of a flat metal circular disc, means forsupplying commingled air and liquid to said compression chamber for acompressive action thereon by said rotor, and means for separating thecompressed air from said liquid.

25. In a compressor, a casing having a com-. pression chamber, a rotorin said chamber in the form of a flat, circular metal disc, means forsupplying commingled air and liquid to said compression chamber,discharge means adjacent to the periphery of said rotor for dischargingthe compressed air from said chamber, and peripheral discharge means fordischarging liquid from said chamber.

26. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor in said casing, means forsupplying commingled air and liquid to said casing for action thereon bysaid rotor, discharge means for the compressed air and for said liquid,and means including an element projecting into said air discharge means.and controlled by overflow of liquid to said air discharge means forautomatically regulating flow of liquid to said casing.-

2'7. In a compressor, a casing, a rotor in sai casing, means forsupplying commingled air and liquid to said casing for action thereon bysaid rotor, discharge means for the compressed -air and said liquid,means including an element projecting into said air discharge means andcontrolled by overflow of liquid to said air discharge means forautomatically regulating flow of liquid to said casing, and meansassociated with said automatic control means for manually regulating theliquid flow.

28. In a compressor, a casing having a compression chamber, a rotor insaid chamber, means for supplying commingled air and liquid to thecompression chamber for compression. therein 70 upon rotation of saidrotor, discharge means adjacent the periphery of said rotor forcompressed air, and collection and discharge means at the periphery ofsaid rotor for the liquid.

29. In a compressor, a casing having a com- 75 pression chamber, a rotorin said chamber, means for supplying commingled air and liquid to thecompression chamber for compression therein upon rotation of said rotor,discharge means ad- 5 jacent the periphery of said rotor for compressedair, collection and discharge means at the periphery of said rotor forthe liquid, and means governed by the thickness of the liquidtransversely of the rotor, at the periphery of the latter,

10 for controlling the rate of liquid supply.

30. In a compressor, a casing having a rotortherein, means forintroducing air and liquid into said casing for action thereon by saidrotor, said rotor effecting a centrifugal compression of said 15 air,means for separating the compressed air, and

means receiving said liquid at the periphery of the rotor and conductingit substantially tangentially therefrom, a wheel coaxial with the rotorand axially spaced therefrom for aiding in driving the rotor, andconducting means receiving the liquid from said substantially tangentialdischarge and supplying it to said wheel.

31. In a compressor, in combination, a rotor rotatable on a stationaryaxis and providing an outer thin smooth annular portion of substantialradial extent, and a housing providing smooth walls opposed to the sidesof said annular portion and approaching the latter laterally towards theperiphery thereof.

32. In a compressor, in combination, a rotor rotatable on a stationaryaxis and providing an outer thin smooth annular portion of substantialradial extent, and a housing cooperating'with said rotor to provide apassage'for fluid of diminishing dimension, axially of the rotor,towards the periphery of the latter.

WARREN NOBLE.

